Busting the Members at the Core of Iran’s Smuggling Networks for Nuclear, Missile, and Conventional Military Goods

Reports

Busting the Members at the Core of Iran’s Smuggling Networks for Nuclear, Missile, and Conventional Military Goods

February 16, 2010

ISIS has released a capstone and four supporting case studies detailing recent efforts by the United States to arrest Iranians at the core of the Iranian regime’s smuggling efforts. The Iranian regime often acts as though it has a right to smuggle goods from abroad for its nuclear, missile, and conventional weapons programs. Now that supplier states are increasingly seeking the arrest of its agents, Iran is insinuating that the detainment of British, French, and U.S. prisoners on charges of spying or fomenting political dissent in Iran is linked to arrests of smuggling suspects.

The arrests of these Iranian agents supplement the imposition of United Nations Security Council sanctions on Iranian government entities and officials who lead military and nuclear projects that create the smuggling operations. These approaches are complementary. The sanctions block financial assets and the travel of key Iranians. The arrest of Iranians directly tied to smuggling can harm Iranian procurement networks and deter others from pursuing these careers. Adding these smugglers to the U.N. sanctions list could disrupt their operations.